The Authority Series: Dr Megan Gerhardt on Gentelligence
Dr. Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey
Helping People Leaders Deliver High Impact Inclusion Work | Host of world's longest running inclusion podcast "Element of Inclusion"
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Last Week We Hosted The Authority Series.
Our guest was author Megan Gerhardt, Ph.D. who spoke about her book Gentelligence.
Make sure you check out our LinkedIn Live.
When I spoke to Dr Megan, I asked 5 key questions:
Actually, it was closer to 15 questions! And we went over time!
Here are some key questions and answers we covered
1) What Does This Book Have To Offer That We Can't Get Anywhere Else?
We now have 5 generations of people in the workplace.
Each with different collective experiences and points of reference.
Not everyone is managing this well.
Dr Megan said "we see that everyone recognises that the multigenerational workplace is here, it's not going away. And that it matters, we want to get a better handle on it; leaders definitely understand they need to be doing a better job than they are"
This book offers practical tools and strategies to engage with a multigenerational workplace at a deeper level.
Lots of books touch on this topic.
This book goes all in.
Dr Megan said "the thing that has really been lacking in most other things that had been written is practical tools and strategies to help us really engage with this at a deeper level, to actually do something differently."
I've reviewed over 75 books here.
This book provides the most depth I've encountered on this issue.
2) What High Impact Activity Can We Apply in Our Everyday Lives?
We got at least 3 that you can apply:
Examine your mindset - are you approaching generational differences from a scarcity mindset or a growth mindset?
It’s useful to adopt a mindset that helps you to invest in and develop other generations.
Practice "pulling back the curtain" - proactively explain the rationale and reasons behind policies, processes, and decisions in your organisation.
This builds transparency and trust, particularly with younger employees.
Use collaborative knowledge transfer - think of this as a two-way learning process to share knowledge
This is great for breaking down stereotypes and distrust.
These were discussed in great detail on the show.
3) What Did You Put In The Book That You Wish More People Understood?
Dr Megan drew attention to the dual nature of assumptions:
This means considering how our biases and communication gaps contribute to assumptions.
To identity assumptions:
- Try to recognise and remove generational biases and cliches.
- Regularly check and challenge your assumptions about others.
This helps to mitigate stereotypes through regular personal audits.
To identity communication gaps.
- Ensure everyone has a shared understanding of key terms.
- Ask clarifying questions.
This helps to clarify meaning and foster understanding.
By identifying and addressing how these contribute to our assumptions, we can enhance communication and collaboration across generational lines.
4) Was There Anything You Wrote For The Book But Decided To Leave Out?
Dr Megan Gerhardt said “ I really felt an obligation to speak to this idea of generations being a cultural phenomenon”.
She meant on a global scale.
The goal was for the book to be useful not just in the US, Canada, and Europe, but worldwide.
Generations are influenced by social, cultural, economic, and political factors, which vary across different regions.
Here’s an example:
The 'OK, Boomer' Phenomenon
In case you missed it, the phrase "OK, Boomer" went viral in 2019.
Dr Megan said it was recognised even in places where the concept of a "baby boomer" isn't officially recognised.
This highlights the cultural impact and reach of generational terms beyond their original context.
Dr Megan wanted to explore how “generations” are perceived and formed globally.
The book primarily focused on North American definitions, which she later realised was a limitation.
This made us think:
- Understand that generational definitions can vary greatly across cultures.
- Continuously learn from different cultural perspectives on generations.
- Apply generational concepts in a way that respects cultural differences.
This sets us up to have a better global understanding across generational lines.
5) How Did Writing The Book Change The Way You Think About These Issues?
Writing the book gave a Dr Megan a deep rooted belief in the message.
She was fascinated that others didn’t initially see the potential I saw, specifically around the framing of the conversation.
She said "If we can change their frame, then we're on to something."
This simple idea became a powerful tool as people started to understand and appreciate the concept.
Organisations have taken the concepts and made them their own, creating innovative initiatives like mutual mentorship programmes.
"They said, Oh, we had this idea because of the Gentelligence work."
Writing the book validated the need for Gentelligence.
This is some of what we discussed.
We went way over time and got some real practical applications.
If you prefer podcasts.
PS.
If you're pushed for time.
Check out my 60 Second Book Review of Gentelligence
SPECIAL OFFER
Dr Megan offered a detailed exercise to help you operate more effectively in an intergenerational workplace.
This is not available anywhere else.
This is a limited offer.
When they're gone.
They're gone.
Message me "Gentelligence" and we'll take it from there.
These people already have:
- Fitz A.
-Rochella N.
-Sharra O.
If you have any questions or ideas.
Message me directly.
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Think about who needs to know this.
They need a friend like you.
As always
I’m cheering you on.
Dr. Jonathan
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